The Shadow of Death
by GolanTrevize123
Summary: Lying in wait, the shadow that had always lingered after Zeref finally begins to emerge... Rated M for strong language, ultraviolence, etc.


**A/N: This is the prologue of a Fairy Tail Fanfic I did a while back. Please review and tell me if I should consider continuing it. **

An undisclosed room in an undisclosed location.

And two mages whose plan had worked.

They both sat in stony silence, their faces hidden by the cowls of their cloaks. Only the fire of a nearby candle, which stood on the precipice of a hallowed skull, lit the room. A small window was positioned strategically above normal height. Bookshelves filled to the brim with forbidden lore and magic dotted the walls. That night was an unusually cold one, and the stillness of it made it even more unbearable. The moon itself, in all its glory, lit the desolated plains, casting an eerie glow, as if death itself had infiltrated the lands. A fitting scene, given the nature of the mages involved, for both represented the very essence of death and destruction. They knew for a fact that the destruction they had loosed upon the earth was but the beginning; a sign of things to come. They knew that the thousands upon thousands of lives that ended these past years were but the first to go their graves; and that millions more would follow in the coming ages. A war unlike any other was declared but not yet begun, as odd as it may seem.

After what felt like hours, one of the mages pulled back the cowl of his cloak. Two eyes, glowing with a foul crimson, pierced the dark. The mage appeared to be quite young, his features radiating with youth. This was just an illusion, serving to hide the true nature of his powers. The other mage pulled his cowl back as well, only to reveal two eyes glowing with a radioactive yellow. He was youthful as well, but he somehow seemed older than the other mage, despite being the latter's junior. Their eyes met, forming a bond that was all but unbreakable.

They both stood at the brink of existence.

Red-eyes finally broke the silence. "We will not be denied," he was saying, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We will have our way with this world, regardless of what its inhabitants might wish for it. Let them believe they have the upper hand, that we have been defeated. The real danger, however, lies in the spread of magic as a commodity. Should this transpire, the darkness we have brought forth will recede as the light grows, rejecting us from this world. No matter. These pretenders will reap the whirlwind soon enough. They cannot hope to spread what is good from what is essentially evil. In the end, it is we who will harvest the benefits."

"How long will such a shift in power take, Master?" Yellow-eyes questioned. Those who came across his thin frame cloaked black in the wasteland heat, carrying nothing but a walking stick, slowly drifting along the seemingly endless road, would have remembered him. If they survived, of course. Physical discomforts didn't trouble him. He was different…better, actually.

Red-eyes sized him up with a look. "Difficult to say," he continued. "It may take a moment, it may take an eternity. We must pull our minds away from the future and anchor ourselves in the present. It may be centuries before this new age comes to an end. Before that, we must see to it that we are prepared."

Yellow-eyes pulled his eyes away to look at the barren, dirt-covered floor. He nodded slowly, as if to acknowledge some revelation.

Red-eyes lowered his head as well, contemplating his next words. "This world is changing, Apprentice," he whispered. "This world, weary as it is, begins to show signs of corruption. A sudden lust for blood, death, hatred, and fear will overtake them. When the gods themselves are but a memory, and the people have nowhere to turn to but us, we will be the ones to provide them with the stability they seek. None shall claim what is rightfully ours."

Doubt marred Yellow-eyes' face. "Although they are fools, they won't simply stand by and do nothing, Master. While I hate them beyond all reason, I will come to respect their power once it has grown. They may come to possess the numbers to succeed, on top of the magics, new and forgotten, that will appear in due time."

Red-eyes' eyes narrowed to slits. "Their time is coming, Apprentice," He hissed. "As the use of magic increases throughout this world, its power will divide itself continuously until there is nothing left. Therein lays the ultimate danger. That is the threat they pose to us. If we can target the source of their magic, we can target their very lives."

"An attack like that would fail, regardless" Yellow-eyes said, taking his Master's proposition into consideration. "These mages will be dispersed throughout the entire world; we can't eliminate or capture them all at once. To do so would require a horde of assassins poised to strike simultaneously – and there's no way we can keep that many mouths shut. They will betray us. We will become the hunted."

A storm was gathering outside. Thunders echoed in the distance and a flicker of lightning lit the entire room momentarily. Given the scenery, it was a depressing sight. It practically screamed bloody murder.

This is what life would be like if you were out in the wasteland and wanted for murder.

Red-eyes cleared his throat as he replied. "As I've said before, their time will come, Apprentice. In the meantime, let them grow strong. Let them spread out into the world. Let them think they are getting the better of us. Such attitudes will inexorably draw them over to the darkness. Besides," Here, he grinned with malevolence. "We don't want them to die too quickly, in any case. No, we have to corrupt them to the point where they will embrace the darkness willingly. If not, then they must be eliminated."

Yellow-eyes decided to expand upon this. "No mere mortal army can destroy them," he added. "We know at least this much. Conventional warfare cannot prevail against such enemies. Our demonic hordes were tens of thousands strong, yet they failed. Now, there will only be isolated pockets of mages, backed by those whose cannot wield magic. That's precisely what we must strive for; a world where barbarism and distrust is the norm."

Red-eyes regarded him. "These wizards will be lured into a trap of their own making. We will exploit their vanity and blind ambitions to the entire world. They will be made to appear the enemies of the common people as opposed to the guardians."

"Of course, great care must be taken," Yellow-eyes was saying. "They must not be turned into martyrs. Should this happen, we could face more heavy resistance. Our plans could be ruined."

Another flicker of lightning lit the abysmal room and the first raindrops were fast approaching.

Red-eyes looked quizzically at his Apprentice. "One thing's for sure," He began. "We can't continue to risk exposure. We'll be better off if the world thinks we're dead. In any case, you should look for allies that are willing to aid us in our quest. We, on the other hand, will remain in the shadows, pulling the strings. We will ensure everything goes our way."

A look of puzzlement crossed Yellow-eyes' face. "What will you do, Master?"

Red-eyes sighed for what felt like the first time in years. "I," He started. "Will disappear from this world for a given time; at least until this situation is vindicated. Remember, Apprentice, that although you orchestrated the attacks and led our demons into battle, it is I who got the credit. By disappearing from this world, the people will come to believe I'm dead. You, on the other hand, are a complete mystery. The world doesn't even know you exist, and that will give us the advantage. The time has come for you to continue this quest – alone."

Yellow-eyes didn't even know where to begin. "Master, I…"

Red-eyes lifted a hand to stop him. "Apprentice," He replied. "This quest may be great, but I believe you can make it a reality. Given your great powers over the realm of magic, this may seem like an easy task. But know this: we used brute force already, and it didn't work. Instead, you must turn your attention to the use of political guile. You must manipulate the wizards that will come to dominate this world into a fold from which they cannot escape."

Torrential rain was now pouring onto the wastelands. Lightning and thunder streaked wildly across the sky, blocking the moon's radiance and further darkening the landscape.

Despite the suddenness of it all, a wicked smile slowly crossed Yellow-eyes' face. "If there is one thing you taught me, Master," he said slowly. "It's that a being must not necessarily be stronger than his opponent in order to defeat him – merely cleverer."

With that, the candle that barely lit the room had given its last, and darkness fell upon the two mages.


End file.
